misr.habibi
Hi Habibi
I suspect that your best option is likely to be to stay where you are, save some more money, see how things go with your girlfriend. I don't think there is much point in trying to protect your present visa if you reckon that you would not be able to afford to live, earn another country is currently benefiting from your expertise in IT and - as a result - your income tax payments?
Why would you want to live in Australia when it seems that your prospects - professional and pe rsonal - are much brighter elsewhere? Governments have an uncanny if inconvenient habit of imagining that commitment to a country is demonstrated by your willingness to pay tax on your contributions to that country's economy.
Don't think whether the available career paths for you in Oz were to your liking (you could've always got a job outside of IT) followed by the inconvenience of interrupting your new love life, followed by the fact that you don't think you could afford to live in Australia as yet, followed ny never having paid tax in Oz are likely to attract much sympthy from DIMA.
I suggest you obtain the best professional advice you can find, to see whether a clever (if expensive) lawyer can think of a way of turning what you say into a demonstration of close ties with and commitment to Australia, my friend.
Best of luck
Gill
